


a footnote in someone else's happiness

by leslytherinphoenix



Category: Dracula & Related Fandoms, Dracula (TV 2013)
Genre: AU- Modern, F/F, Friendship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-12-03
Updated: 2013-12-17
Packaged: 2018-01-03 09:06:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 2,976
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1068653
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/leslytherinphoenix/pseuds/leslytherinphoenix
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A series of drabbles and oneshots on the development of Lucy and Mina's relationship, all set in the same AU.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own any of the things I mention or the characters I use. They are the sole property of someone that is not me.  
> I need to work on something so my heart doesn't explode with all the Westenray. I hope you enjoy!

“Lucy, this is Mina.” Mrs. Westenra seems upbeat and cheerful as she glances at the young brunette, a week after her tenth birthday. Mina smiles, her brown curls falling from her shoulders to her mid-back as she glances up at Lucy, who looks down at her with an air of slight superiority.  


“Nice to meet you,” Lucy says, parroting what her parents have told her to say when she meets new people, any new people. Mina’s smile does not falter.  


“The Murrays are our new neighbors,” her mother continues, her gaze flickering to her daughter carefully. “They moved into the Durik’s old house.”  


Lucy knows that—it’s the only house that’s empty on this entire street. She’s been inside once or twice—the stairs are too narrow for her, the single tower that spirals into the sky is a bit too evil-fortress for her. But she just nods again, politely.  


“I thought maybe you two would like to play sometime,” Mrs. Westenra smiles and motions through the air with a single hand.  
Play. Lucy doesn’t like to play—at least with other people. She prefers to occupy herself. As a child, she played with dolls. They listened to what she had to say, she did not need to compliment them or smile at them or even really speak. They obeyed her every command—people, sadly, never could. And Lucy has always liked being in charge. She can pretend, for her mother’s sake, to play with Marie—Margaret, no, Mina—whatever. She smiles uneasily.  


The doorbell rings. “Must be your mother, I’ve invited her over for tea,” Mrs. Westenra muses and flits to the door, which has already been opened by the maid.  


Mina and Lucy are left staring at each other a bit awkwardly. “It’s nice to meet you, too.” Mina’s smile appears on her face again, brighter than last time. Lucy looks at her, a bit strangely. “I like your house,” Mina says, looking around at the polished oak floors, at the floor-to-ceiling windows that let in the sinking sun, reflecting off of the crystallized snow.  


“T-Thank you.” Lucy’s slightly confused, only slightly.  


“Mine is so dark.” Mina walks towards the window and places a single, pale hand on it. “There are hardly any windows.”  


“It seems like an old castle.” It’s the first thing that’s more than a mere formality that Lucy has said to Mina.  


“Perhaps there’s a dungeon or a secret chamber,” Mina wonders and stifles a giggle. “Wouldn’t that be exciting?”  


“Almost like an adventure,” Lucy says and swallows. Lucy has always wanted to go an adventure—she’s constantly looking for some mystery to solve, some forbidden passageway to find, some person to rescue.  


“Exactly.” Mina turns and looks back at Lucy, eyes bright. “What do you say?”  


“To what?” The gentle hum of conversation comes from the next room, and Lucy thinks she hears the clink of a cup against a plate.  


“Exploring.” The grin on her face is impish. Lucy has never seen anyone smile like that—mischievous and angelic at the same time. “Let’s find some secret room or something.”  


Lucy looks around to see if anyone is coming. “Is your father home?”  


“He’s at work,” Mina shrugs. “He won’t be home for hours.”  


“And your mother’s here,” Lucy grins too, genuinely this time. “Let’s go.” 

They don’t find anything, of course, though it feels like they search every stone for some hidden seam, some catch. The basement is decidedly unspectacular—it is a chain of three rooms, each of them glaringly empty. Their footsteps and voices echo, and that just prompts them to talk more, in the hopes to banish the oppressing silence that would fall if they did otherwise.  


A dungeon is nowhere to be found—there isn’t even a torture chamber or an ax or anything, though Lucy isn’t really sure what she expected, anyways.  
But they spend a good two hours looking, giggling, pointing out one oddity in the architecture or the next to each other. Lucy learns that Mina’s moved here from a nearby suburb and is only mildly disappointed it isn’t something decidedly more glamorous. Mina learns that Lucy has a quick wit, that she speaks fast and thinks even faster. In an older person, the trait could have been called charming, in Lucy, it is merely amusing.  


Their parents do not notice for a while—they never really figure out when their mothers realized that they were missing, exactly, but by the time both of them creep back into the Westenra living room, Mrs. Murray and Mrs. Westenra are both incredibly unamused.  


“You didn’t even tell us where you went,” Mrs. Westenra tuts and exchanges an exasperated glance with Mrs. Murray.  


“We were exploring,” Mina says and blinks a few times.  


“In our house?” Mrs. Murray nearly screeches, and has to take a few seconds to compose herself. “Mina, do you know that it’s dangerous? We haven’t remodeled anything in the basement yet, oh, darling....” She gathers her daughter up in her arms, who squirms and tries to get free. She’s far too old for this, really. Lucy has to stifle a laugh.  


When Mina is finally free, they exchange an amused glance, and Lucy thinks that perhaps she won’t have to be in charge after all.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More shameless fluff. Oops.

“This is your bedroom?” Lucy leans on the bed with a single hand, testing the bounciness of the mattress. It is adequate, at least for her taste. “You’re honestly in the tower?”  


“I thought it would be nice,” Mina says and shrugs. “Like a princess.” She twirls around and flops onto the bed.  


“It is nice.” Lucy looks out of the window. She isn’t even lying. There’s something romantic about the view—Mina towers over their street. Lucy can see the school from here, with its swing sets and slides, if she squints, she can even see the movie theatre.  


There is knocking at the door and Lucy flinches. “Mina, darling,” someone says, and she realizes it’s just Mrs. Murray.  


“Yes?” Mina rights herself on the bed, curls spilling over a single shoulder. It is mesmerizing to watch.  


“Have you offered your guest something to drink?”  


Lucy snorts.  


“Do you want something to drink?” Mina asks, raising an eyebrow.  


“I’m good, thank you,” Lucy replies dryly, and this time, they don’t hesitate to giggle.  


“Think of it earlier next time, Mina dearest.” There are footsteps, and then she is gone.  


“Mina dearest,” Lucy mocks, and Mina’s cheeks go bright red.  


“Leave me alone,” she mumbles into her pillow.  


“Mina, darling,” Lucy snickers, and Mina sits up, comically cross.  


Lucy laughs, then says it again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think I'll post another one today, shall I?


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning for implied death. This one's a bit more angsty. Also, my heart is in shards because of the last episode. My poor babies.

She’s been crying for hours—literally hours—and it seems like she will never stop again for as long as she lives.  


“Mother—” she has managed to choke out a few times over the past several hours, but that’s all that she can bring across her lips before the sound gets cut off by another harsh sob. Car crash. It’s serious. Something about an operation. That’s all her father told her, that’s all he said before packing a bag and driving off to the hospital with a vague instruction to stay at the Westenra’s.  


Mina cannot bring herself to move. She’s been frozen in this position on the staircase for what seems like eternity. Her breaths are coming out in ragged gasps—she wishes she had enough oxygen to keep her blood flowing, but now, she can’t be sure. Her tears stop for seconds at a time, but it is just a mere flash back to reality that causes them to come down again, accompanied by wracking sobs that leave her chest heaving.  


She doesn’t know what time it is—she just knows she’s sitting in this great house alone, the maid and housekeeper curiously absent for once. She is so alone. She is so, so alone, and her mother is injured, her mother is dying—  


The phone rings, but Mina can’t bear to pick it up. She is too busy rocking back and forth, cradling her head in her arms. Her curls must be in disarray, her eyes must be bright red—Mina could not care less.  


The doorbell rings. She can’t move. She’s frozen in place, frozen in grief and fear and worry—her tears manage to stop for a minute, though, and she thinks that her lungs are perhaps functioning properly again. It rings again. Mina leans her head against the banister, her temples pounding. It’s properly just some stupid package for her—her mother—  


The tears start up again, and this time they are so intense that she can barely hear a very familiar voice screaming through the door.  


“Mina!” There is rapid knocking this time, and Mina tries to dry her tears. “Mina, it’s me, open up!” More knocking, the bell rings again. And again. And again. Mina stands up, shakily, wiping her tears away in a vain effort to make herself look presentable. She moves towards the door on wobbly legs and unlocks it, not even bothering to open it before stumbling back towards the stairs.  


“Mina,” Lucy’s voice sounds almost as worried as Mina feels. “Mina, darling—”  


She’s started calling her that. Unconsciously, probably, but now it just tears another fresh wound through Mina’s heart.  


“Please, come with me,” Lucy pleads and leans down next to her, taking her damp hand in hers and squeezing it. “You can’t stay here all alone in this gigantic house.”  


“Mother—” Mina says the only word that has managed to leave her lips since the news, and Lucy nods, eyes roving over her tear-stained features.  


“Your mother will be fine,” Lucy promises, and she lifts Mina’s hand to her lips and kisses it. “Your mother will be alright, please, just come with me— ”Mina says nothing. The tears come silently now, flowing over her face. “Mina.”  


It is that last word that makes Mina nod and swallow back another incoming sob. She steadies herself with Lucy’s help—she’s still shorter than her at this point, so Lucy has to bend down to help her.  


“Thank you,” Mina whispers, her voice thick in her throat.  


“Thank you,” Lucy corrects with a sad smile, and they leave the house empty. 

\----------

Mina does not dream that night.  


Her sleep—if it can even be called that, it is more like a fitful trance that she jerks out of every few minutes—is dark and dreamless, it is nothing in itself. She can hear Lucy’s steady breathing next to her, a gentle inhale and exhale; she can feel her blonde hair curling against her shoulder. It is comforting to have her lying there—it is like she is an anchor, and without her, Mina would be lost in the waves.  


Her breathing stops for a split second, and so does Mina’s heart. But then she can hear Lucy shifting, and it is only after a few moments that she realized that she’s woken up as well.  


“Are you okay?” The room smells sweet, probably because of the carpet cleaner that the Westenra household uses. But this room has another lingering trace of something untouchable in it, a smell that seems to follow Lucy and only Lucy around.  


“Okay.” Mina scoffs. Her eyes are dry now. She has spent her supply of tears for this day, for the rest of her life. “Lucy....”  


“I’m sorry,” Lucy whispers. Mina closes her eyes. Lucy does not have to apologize. Lucy should never have to apologize, not as long as she stays the kind of person she is.  


Mina does not answer, she merely leans her head against Lucy’s shoulder. A single tear drips down her nose. Lucy does not seem to mind. She weaves an arm around Mina’s waist. She holds her tight.  


They both fall asleep eventually, but neither of them moves until morning calls. 

\---------------- 

The phone rings at a ridiculously early hour, but Lucy is out of bed in a flash, probably the fastest she’s ever gotten up in her life. She picks up the receiver, nods a few times. Mina is still asleep, blissfully unaware—  


She is awakened by Lucy’s gentle touch on the side of her face and stares at her wordlessly until the blonde holds out the receiver with a shaking hand. Mina glances up at her. There is a question written all over her face, in her eyes—  


Lucy can only look away, and Mina holds the receiver to her ear with a determined look.  


There is the faint murmur of words on the other line.  


Mina’s sobbing into Lucy’s bare skin before the phone even hits the ground.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we are back to mindless fluff! I'm not sure what time difference happens between these chapters, or if they're even in chronological order. It's up to the reader :)

“You’re insane.” Mina puts her forehead in her palm and shakes her head, trying to keep her voice low enough to be considered a whisper. Their Physics teacher won’t notice—at least, Mina hopes he won’t, because if he does, that’ll be trouble.  


“I’m not insane,” Lucy snaps defensively from the seat behind her and looks around, trying to see if anyone’s picked up on their hushed conversation. “It’s not my fault that my binder fell apart in the middle of class.” She pulls at the clasp--the metal part of it clatters to the floor, and Mina sucks in an exasperated breath.  


“Just pick it up and stuff it into your bag, we’ll deal with it later,” Mina hisses, but Lucy does no such thing.  


“I want to fix it,” Lucy announces, a bit too loudly. Some of the boys are already looking over at them, and Mina glares at Lucy before copying down what the teacher’s been writing on the board for the past few minutes.  


“Good luck with that,” Mina says flatly, and she can hear the screeching sounds of metal against metal as Lucy tries desperately to force the parts back together.  


“Ow!” She hisses and looks at her finger, where bright red blood quells from the tip. “Damn that metal thing,” she glowers, and Mina rolls her eyes and looks away again.  


“Don’t touch it, I’ll get you a band-aid later,” Mina waves it off, but Lucy is, apparently, convinced she’ll bleed to death. “Lucy, don’t make a fuss, we’ll get to it later.”  


“It’s bleeding,” Lucy says, feigning shock. “Mina, do you really not care that I’m bleeding over here?”  


“Lucy,” Mina warns.  


Lucy sighs and sucks on the tip of her finger, staring down at her broken binder with a saddened expression that’s really far too melodramatic for the situation. “Mina, darling, don’t you think you could at least help me with this stupid thing?”  


Mina glances at her once, just once, and pulls down on the lever that’s supposed to force the rings up. “Lucy, you little idiot, it’s supposed to be on top of the ring, not under it.” It snaps back into place, and Lucy stares at the mechanism, a bit fascinated.  


“Oh,” she says meekly, and Mina laughs, earning a glare from their teacher.  


“And now quiet,” Mina admonishes her. “This is important.”  


“Fine,” Lucy says gloomily. Mina turns back to the teacher, dutifully trying to understand everything—  


Lucy leans forward. “What does the f stand for?”


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More fluff! Warnings: Some mild ableist language.

“....You’re taller than me.”  


“So I am,” Mina grins.  


Lucy gapes at her, mouth half-open before remembering how ridiculous that looks. “You’re taller than me—how dare you,” she says indignantly, looking up (up!) at Mina. They haven’t seen each other all summer. Lucy’s been in Paris, and somehow Mina has grown. Lucy, however, has not. This wasn’t apparent in the pictures they’ve been sending back and forth all summer. Lucy heard no evidence of Mina’s growth in her voice on the telephone. But the fact is unable to be ignored when Lucy realizes she has to stand on her tippy toes to embrace her, and Mina realizes it when she’s able to lift Lucy off of her feet and spin her around with ease.  


“What did they feed you while I was gone?” Lucy asks, dumbfounded. “Come now, darling, it must have been something.”  


“Perhaps you shrunk,” Mina smirks. There’s a glint in her eye that wasn’t there before. Lucy is speechless, if only for a second. 

Lucy’s always been taller—she could always tower over Mina’s head, laugh at her when she couldn’t reach the cupboard—  


Mina reaches out and pats her head, prompting Lucy to swat her hand away. “Don’t touch me,” she sniffs, with an accurate portrayal of offense on her face. Mina pauses for a moment, afraid she actually means it, but Lucy looks up again and there is no hurt in her eyes, just amusement.  


“Well, it’s not my fault,” Mina says after a few seconds, a bit defensive. Lucy breaks out in laughter.  


“Good. It won’t stay like this for long,” Lucy warns, and in her mind, she’s already going over the shoes that she can steal out of her mother’s closet. “I’ll eat lots of vegetables—don’t look like that, dearest, I can have self control, too—and then we’ll see.”  


Mina looks dubious, and it only takes a second for both of them to start giggling. “You—you and—god, you’re hilarious, Lucy.”  


“Leave me alone,” Lucy snaps, feeling a bit miffed. “If all else fails, I’ll just wear high heels for the rest of my life, it’s not like I want to look like a dwarf next to you.”  


Mina snorts.  


“Don’t you dare laugh,” Lucy crosses her arms. “And if you ever even think of calling me dwarf, or any other term that is related to my height, I will let you know that—”  


“I will now,” Mina remarks, and she only has to laugh at Lucy’s elbow jabbing into her side. “Dwarf,” she giggles.  


“Shut it,” Lucy can only reply, and two red spots appear on her cheeks.  


Mina pats her head again and Lucy pretends like she’s annoyed.


End file.
